Lexell (crater)
Encyclopedia
Lexell is a lunar
crater
that lies across the southeastern rim of the huge walled plain Deslandres
, in the southern part of the Moon
. To the northeast is the walled plain Walther
, and to the south is Orontius
, another walled plain.
This is a somewhat irregular formation with a wide break in the northern rim. The western rim forms a low, arcing wall, and is overlain to the southwest by Lexell H after passing the rim of Deslandres. The rim peaks along the southeast, then comes to an end at a rugged promontory-like ridge. The interior floor has been resurfaced by lava
to the northwest and in sections of the remainder of the floor. There are some low rises and ghost-crater
rims in the southeast half part of the interior floor.
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
crater
Impact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
that lies across the southeastern rim of the huge walled plain Deslandres
Deslandres (crater)
Deslandres is the heavily worn and distorted remains of a lunar impact crater. It is located to the southeast of the Mare Nubium, in the rugged southern highlands of the Moon. In dimension it is the second-largest crater formation on the visible Moon, being beaten only by the 303-kilometer-diameter...
, in the southern part of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. To the northeast is the walled plain Walther
Walther (crater)
Walther is an ancient lunar impact crater located in the southern highland region of the Moon. It is joined along the western rim to the crater Deslandres...
, and to the south is Orontius
Orontius (crater)
Orontius is a lunar impact crater that lies in the heavily cratered southern highlands of the Moon's near side. It is located to the northwest of the prominent ray crater Tycho, and south and east of the large walled plain Deslandres...
, another walled plain.
This is a somewhat irregular formation with a wide break in the northern rim. The western rim forms a low, arcing wall, and is overlain to the southwest by Lexell H after passing the rim of Deslandres. The rim peaks along the southeast, then comes to an end at a rugged promontory-like ridge. The interior floor has been resurfaced by lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
to the northwest and in sections of the remainder of the floor. There are some low rises and ghost-crater
Palimpsest
A palimpsest is a manuscript page from a scroll or book from which the text has been scraped off and which can be used again. The word "palimpsest" comes through Latin palimpsēstus from Ancient Greek παλίμψηστος originally compounded from πάλιν and ψάω literally meaning “scraped...
rims in the southeast half part of the interior floor.
Satellite craters
By convention these features are identified on lunar maps by placing the letter on the side of the crater mid-point that is closest to Lexell.| Lexell | Latitude | Longitude | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 36.9° S | 1.4° W | 34 km |
| B | 37.3° S | 3.4° W | 23 km |
| D | 36.1° S | 0.7° W | 20 km |
| E | 37.2° S | 0.4° W | 16 km |
| F | 36.5° S | 5.4° W | 8 km |
| G | 37.2° S | 4.9° W | 10 km |
| H | 36.5° S | 4.9° W | 10 km |
| K | 35.9° S | 6.4° W | 10 km |
| L | 36.0° S | 6.0° W | 8 km |